Truth Social users were trafficking in debunked claims during Donald Trump’s debate last night against President Joe Biden. 

The conversative app, which is owned by Trump Media & Technology Group and went public in March, features a rogue’s gallery of MAGA personalities. While the app’s user size of just 5 million is dwarfed by the likes of TikTok, Instagram, and X, Truth Social still offers a window into the far-right psychology. 

Skepticism of CNN

Before the debate even started, Truth Social users were lashing out against the left-leaning CNN. “The debate is going to be RIGGED,” wrote user Wall Street Apes. Another user, DualTech Band, called the network’s rules—for example, that mics would be turned off between responses—a “marxist tactic to attack Right-Wing President Donald Trump.”

As the debate progressed (and as users realized Trump would not receive significant fact-checking from the anchors), opinions on CNN softened. “I will admit that CNN has kept the debate orderly,” wrote user Jefferson Adams. 

Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s son, even chimed in: “I actually like this format for my father. Keeping him disciplined and focused. He’s dismantling Biden’s disastrous and failed policies one by one piece by piece.”

Joe Biden was both sleepy and hopped up, wrote users

A bulk of Truth Social posts during the debate concerned Biden’s performance, with users salivating every time the president tripped over his words. The night’s primary conspiracy came from an image of Biden touching his ear, a sign for many users that he was using an earpiece. “I want to look in Joe Biden’s right ear,” wrote user Patti Dennis. (People made similar claims in 2020, which were quickly debunked.)

Those online during the debate couldn’t reach consensus about the state of Joe Biden’s performance. For many, he seemed sleepy. “Poor Joe, needs a nap,” wrote user Natalie. “Biden sounds exhausted, looks like he can barely stand when he isn’t speaking,” wrote Jordan Sekulow. 

But other users found Biden to be more animated—and angier—than usual. “Biden is starting to get hot headed,” wrote user SawCat3. “Uh oh… Biden is starting to fail at controlling his temper,” wrote user Jessica Swords Burton. Conspiracies of cocaine usage washed over the platform. (That claim was first made by Trump himself, and has since been debunked.)

The policies came second

Users generally veered away from the policy points of the night, with the vast majority of posts commenting on Biden’s performance. Still, one major point of contention came when the debate turned to policing. After Biden said that Trump “wants to cut the cops” Truth Social erupted with indignation. “You’re the leader of the DEFUND THE POLICE party,” wrote Darryl. (Biden himself has in fact been highly critical of the Defund the Police movement.) 

This brought up the broader question of nationalism for many online. Jefferson Adams wrote, “Biden hates the term ‘Patriots’ just as much as dems hate the American flag.”

Truth Social users did, however, call Biden out on one of his own debunked claims: that he was the only president this decade that didn’t have “any troops dying anywhere in the world like [Trump] did.” “Biden LIED,” wrote New York Rep. Elise Stefanik. “13 brave American soldiers died due to HIS failed withdrawal in Afghanistan.” Throughout the night, images of the 13 soldier’s faces covered the platform.

But there was, of course, little pushback against any of Trump’s falsehoods. These included that the January 6 insurrectionists were “ushered in by the police” to the Capitol, that Nancy Pelosi turned down the National Guard on that day, that January 6 was the day of the “lowest taxes ever,” and that he had “the greatest economy in history.” These claims have all since been debunked. 

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